Electric switch-lock.



E. M. FULLER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-3,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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E. M. FULLER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH LOCK- APPLICATION FILED JAN-3.1914.

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Patented July 6 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COuWASHINGTDN. 0.1..

ERNEST IVL FULLER, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed. January 3, 1914. Serial No. 810,237.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ennnsr M. FULLER, citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricSwitchLocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for either 1 making or breakingelectrical circuits, and

has reference particularly to devices whereby electrical circuits may bebroken, and means whereby the devices may be securely locked to preventunauthorized persons from restoring the circuits; the circuit breakerbeing particularly adapted for use in connection with motor vehicles ofthat type wherein an electric circuit is necessaryto the operation ofthe propelling power mechanism of the vehicle.

An object of the invention is to provide an electrical switch lock ofsuch novel and peculiar construction as to afford in every instance abroad and perfect contact, and which is at all times positivelyprotected and locked from unauthorized interference.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans whereby the switch casing may be locked against unauthorizedremoval, the locking means being operable by one and the same key asthat employed for operating the switch lock, thus affording a distinctlyindividual and novel device.

A still further object of the invention is to afford a construction ofsuch simple, compact and durable nature as to require no attentionwhatever on the part of the user other than to turn the key and by theuse of which short-circuiting and imperfect contact are impossible.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings,described in the following specification and then more particularlypointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part ofthis application. V

In describing my invention in detail ref erence will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure-1is a front elevation of the casing within which the device comprisingthe pres ent invention is inclosed; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thedevice comprising the present invention, the casing, and several otherelements being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 ofFig. 2; Fig. i is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustratingthe relative disposition of the contact plates and the circuit closingdevice; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional view of the key casing, the key being shown inelevation.

Broadly, the invention consists of a key operated switch lock, havingmeans associated therewith whereby the casing within which the switchlock is inclosed may be locked and unlocked relative to its support bythe manipulation of one and the same key, the operation of each beingdeterminable by the position of the key relative to the casing withinwhich it is operated.

Referring now to the drawings by numeral, 1 designates, as an entirety,the casing within which the mechanism comprising the present inventionis arranged. The said casing, in its preferred embodiment, comprises aremovable base plate 2 adapted to be detach-ably secured, by means ofscrews 3, to the dash board of a motor vehicle, or to any other suitablesupporting structure convenient to the operator of the machine.

Detachably secured to the base plate 1 by means of screws 4; is thecasing proper 5, one edge of which is provided with looking tongues 6adapted for disposition beneath suitable keepers 7 formed integrallywith the base plate 2. Upon the opposite edge of the casing proper 5from that upon which the tongues 6 are formed I provide a single lockingtongue 8, over which a sliding bolt 9, operable withinthe casing, isarranged, the mechanism for sliding the said bolt being hereinafterfully described.

Pivoted as at 10 to a lug 11 carried by the base plate 2 of the casing,I provide an operating lever 12 of the bell-crank type, to one end ofwhich is secured as at 13 a suitable helical spring 14, the opposite endof the said spring being secured as at 15 to a lug l6 projecting intothe interior of the casing from the base plate 2 in spaced relation toand beneath the said lever 12, the said lug serving, as is illustratedto advantage in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings,

as. a keeper or guide for the sliding bolt 9. To the opposite end of thelever 12, a rod 17 is secured, the said rod terminating at its free endin an enlargement 18 projecting exteriorly of the casing 5 through anopening 19 formed therein, the walls of the said opening serving as abearing for the e11- larged portion of the said rod. The tension of thespring 14 is suflicient to normally maintain the enlargement or knob 18extended with respect to the said casing.

Within the casing, and atone side of the lever 12, I provide a lockingbolt or rod 20 mounted for sliding movement within a suitable bearing 21provided therefor, the latter being supported by the base plate 2.Collars 22 and 23 are adjustable upon the rod 20, the former serving asan abutment for one end of a spring 24 arranged to embrace the said rodand to normally exert an inward pressure thereupon. The opposite end ofthe spring 24 engages a lever 25, oscillatable on a pivot 26 within thecasing. The said lever 25 intermediate its ends is provided with anelongated slot through which the said rod 20 extends. Disposed upon theopposite side of the lever from that upon which the collar 22 isdisposed, is the collar 23, to provide, during the oscillatory movementof the said lever, for the sliding movement of the said rod 20,suchmovement being against the tension of the spring 24.

The free or inner end of the rod 20 is engageable with the lever 12, itbeing normally seated within a recess 27 formed within the said lever 12to prevent, when thus seated, movement of the said lever. As a supportfor the rod 20, a bearing 28 is provided and disposed adjacent the freeend thereof.

Secured to the lever 12 at a point adjacent the point 13 is an operatingrod 30, the opposite end of which is secured as at 31 to an arm 32oscillatable from a point 33 within the casing. Depending from the arm32, and disposed in uniform spaced relation, 1 provide one or aplurality of extensions 33 over which springs 34 are arranged, the saidsprings abutting respectively the arm or beam 32 and contacts 35, thelatter being provided, with a recess 36, within which an enlarged headportion 37 of the extension 33 is seated. Directly beneath the contacts35, and disposed normally in spaced relation thereto, I provide contacts38 and 39 respectively, the former being supported in thedesiredposition through the medium of insulating lugs 40 and the latterthrough the medium of insulating lugs 41. Openings 42 are formed withinthe base 2 of the casing, the wires (not shown) connected to the saidplates, extending therethrough.

Proceeding now with the description of the mechanism for oscillating thelever 25 to withdraw the rod 20 from its seat 27 within the lever 12,the numeral 43 designates as an entirety, the key casing, the samecomprising a plurality of sections, preferably three, designatedrespectively 44, 45 and 46, the former being seated within an opening 47formed in the casing proper 5. Insulating material is interposed betweenthe key case and the lock case 5. Annular flanges or extensions 48 areformed upon the inner extremities of the sections 44 and 46 to overlapflanges 49 formed upon the extremities of the intermediate section 45,this arrangement providing for the support of the said intermediatesection by the said two sections 44 and 46, at the same time permittingthe said intermediate section to be turned or rotated independentlyof'the said supporting sections 44 and 46. A key way 50, of the sameconfiguration in each casingsection is provided, within which aremovable operating key 51 is insertible for turning the said sectionsof which the casing is composed according to the turning of the saidkey. As a support for the inner section 46, a bearing 52 is provided,the said bearing being insulated from the key case and extendingupwardly from the casing 5 as is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.Upon the inner extremity of the section 46 of the casing, and projectinginwardly therefrom, I provide a pin 53 extending through a slot 54formed within the lever 25 for imparting movement thereto according tothe turning of the casing section carrying the said pin. The lever 25being pivoted as at 26, it is apparent that an oscillatory movement isimparted thereto by the rotation of the pin-carrying section of thecasing.

Pivoted as at 55 to the intermediate section 45 of the casing is a rod56 the same being bent intermediate its ends to provide a right angledextension 57 the free end of which works within an elongated opening 58formed within one end of a bell crank 59 pivoted as at 60, its oppositeend being secured to an extension 61 of the sliding bolt 9. Theconstruction of the device having been fully described, it now remainsto set forth a little more in detail the operation thereof. Then it isdesired that the contacts 35 be moved into engagement with the plates 38and 39, such movement is effected by a turning of the key 51 within thecasing 43 provided therefor. The key 51 is first inserted within thekey-way 50 its entire length, thus, by a turning of the key, imparting alike movement to the inner casing section 46, at the same timepermitting the intermediate section 45 to remain idle or stationary,this being made possible by the peculiar formation of the key. The key,as shown to advantage in Fig. 6, is made sectional, the

terminal sections being substantially flat, and the intermediate orconnecting section being of such size and shape as to rotate freelywithin the key case Without causing the section of which the key case iscomposed to rotate with it, this construction permitting, when the keyis inserted, full length, into the lock, a rotation of sections 46 and44 of the lock case without a corresponding rotation of section 45, thelatter section being of a size whereby to entirely embrace theconnecting portion of the key, the said connecting portion beingrotatable within the intermediate section 45 without imparting motionthereto. To operate the intermediate section 45, the key 51 is insertedonly part way within the key case, that is, only to such an extent as tocause the end key section to engage the said intermediate key casesection without engaging the key case section 46, this arrangement, whenthe key 51 is rotated, permitting sections 45 and 44 of the key case tobe rotated, the section 46 remaining stationary or idle. A turning ofthe inner casing section 46 will impart a like movement to the pin 53and as the latter operates within the slot 54, it is apparent that thelever 25 is actuated and forced, by a continued rotation of the key,into engagement with the collar 23. The said collar being rigid withrespect to the shaft 20, a sliding movement is imparted to the latteragainst the tension of the spring 24 thereby unseating said rod from therecess 27 of the operating lever 12. The rod 20 having been disengagedfrom the lever 12, the tension of the spring 14 will rock the saidlever, cause the rod 17 and the knob 18 to move forwardly, at the sametime exerting a pull upon the rod 30 connected to the beam or arm 32.The said beam 32 being pivoted as at 33, and the contacts 35 beingcarried thereby, it is further apparent that the said contacts, thesprings 34 providing a yieldable support therefor, will be moved intoengagement with the plates 38 and 39 thus closing or making the electriccircuit necessary to the operation of the invention. When it is desiredthat the circuit be broken, the knob 18 is forced inwardly until therecess 27 of the lever 12 is alined with the rod 20, whereupon thespring 24, by reason of its engagement with the collar 22 will seat thesaid rod within said recess and lock the said lever 12 in its normalposition, the beam 32 being ralsed or moved in the position illustratedin Flg. 2 of the drawings so as to disengage the contacts with theplates 38 and 39. To unlock the casing proper 5 from the base 2 thereof,the key 51 is inserted part way within the key way 50 or only asuflicient distance to engage the intermediate casing section 45, inwhich event a turning of the said key will impart a like movement to thesaid intermediate section, and as this section has secured thereto as at55, the rod 56, it is apparent that the bell crank 59 is actuated andthe bolt 9 removed from engagement with the locking tongue 8, which jremoval, will permit, the screws 4 having first been removed,

the entire removal of the casing proper 5.

From the above, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, itwill be noted that the adjustment of the collars 22 and 23 will provide,first, for the regulation of the tension of the spring 24, and second,for varying the length of the stroke of the rod 20; that the operationof both the switch device and the casing locking device are controlledsolely by the manipulation of a single key; and that by varying theformation of the key way 50, keys of various izyples may be provided foreach individual In reduction to practice, I have found that the form ofmy invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the abovedescription, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient andpractical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with theadoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize thefact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportionand arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, withoutsacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a lock case, switch lock mechanism within the case,mechanism operable to lock and unlock the case relatively to itssupport, and a single key operable to either simultaneously operate thetwo mechanisms or to operate one mechanism independently of the other.

2. In an electrical switch locking device, a lover, a second lever,means operable by movement of said first mentioned lever to lock andunlock said last mentioned lever, a pivoted arm, means connecting thesaid last mentioned lever with said arm, and means carried by said armto make and break the electric circuit, as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In an electrical switch lock, an operating lever, means forautomatically actuating said lever, means engageable with said lever torender the same inoperative, means engageable with said last mentionedmeans for actuating the same, means for actuating the said lastmentioned means, and means operable by movement of said lever to makeand break the electric circuit, as and for the purpose set forth. I

4. In an electrical switch look, a fulcrumed operating lever, a springactuated slidable rod adapted for engagement with said lever to normallymaintain said lever inoperative, a second lever adapted for engagementwith said rod, means for actuating said second lever to remove said rodfrom engagement With said operating lever, .In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature spring means havingconnect on W1th said n'presence of twoWitnesses. operating lever to actuate the same after the removal o fsaid. rod, and means 0p- ERNEST FULLER erable by movement of said leverto make Witnesses;

and breakthe electric circuit, as and for the CORNELIUS DE BOER,

.purposeset forth. G. KRINZENGER.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G.

